The Waiting
by hbwgonnabe
Summary: Finished! Joe has symptoms of a life-threatening illness but before a complete diagnosis can be issued, Joe and his doctor are abducted.
1. Default Chapter

Seventeen year old Joe Hardy leaned back in his chair and took a few deep breaths. How had he gotten so out of shape, he wondered as his breathing returned to normal? He had run from the field where he had taken Coach Olsen something for Principal Dylan and back to the main entrance. He was used to running fifty times that far and at a faster speed. He opened his textbook as his classmates filed into the room.

After class he walked to his locker and put the book inside and pulled out the two he had homework in. These he tucked into his backpack as his year older brother, Frank, came up beside him. "We're meeting the guys at Mr. Pizza," Frank said, looking at his blond headed sibling. 

"I think I'll give it a pass," Joe replied looking up from his task. 

"Why?" asked Frank, concern marring his handsome features.

"I have scads of homework," Joe replied, his blue ones meeting Frank's brown ones. "It's going to take forever to get it all done."

"Want some help?" offered Frank, reaching up and tucking a stray strand of brown hair behind his ear. His hair had gotten a bit shaggy over the winter and he was long overdue for a trim.

"Thanks," Joe replied with a smile. "But I got it. Besides," he added, grinning. "Mom made you an appointment to get your hair done."

"She did?" Frank asked in surprise.

"Mmm-hmm," Joe replied. "She told you this morning while you were on the phone with Callie... but I guess you were too involved to listen."

Frank blushed at the mention of his girlfriend. "Do you remember where and when?" he asked.

"Five-thirty at Harrison's in the mall," Joe answered. "Can you drop me off at home before you head to Mr. Pizza's?"

"Sure," Frank agreed.

"You're home early," commented petite Laura Hardy, the boys' mother when Joe entered the living room that afternoon.

"I have a lot of homework," Joe answered, giving the woman whose feature's he had inherited a wan smile. "I'll see you later," he added, turning to go upstairs.

"Honey, are you feeling well?" asked Laura in concern, standing up and going over to him. Joe turned back around as he heard his mother rise. She laid a hand on his forehead as she neared. "You don't feel hot," she said.

"I'm fine," Joe assured her. "Maybe a little tired."

"Why don't you take a nap?" she suggested. "I'll wake you for dinner and you can do your homework afterwards. If you need any help, I'm sure Frank will help you."

"I might just do that," Joe replied, smiling at her. He kissed her forehead then went on upstairs, trying to smother a spurt of coughing.

Joe closed his bedroom door and sat down on the bed. He opened his backpack and pulled out his history book. He could do part of his homework now and the rest after dinner and still get a nap in, he thought. He lay down on the bed and opened the book to chapter four and began reading.

Almost three hours later his bedroom door opened and Frank entered. "Wake up, baby brother," he said, nudging Joe's arm.

Joe opened his eyes and blinked as the overhead light assaulted his eyes. Joe looked down at the book on his chest in disgust. He hadn't gotten more than a few pages read. "Dinner's ready," Frank told him. "Feeling better?" he asked as Joe sat up slowly. "Mom said you were tired when you got home."

Joe stretched. "Yeah," he said, grinning up at Frank's six foot one frame. "I'll be down in a minute."

Frank left the room and headed back downstairs as Joe stood up. He groaned and sat back down on the bed. "Ouch," he moaned, reaching down and rubbing his left ankle. He looked down at his feet. His left ankle looked bigger than the right one. He pulled off his shoe and then his sock. "Definitely swollen," he murmured, seeing the imprint of his sock's elastic on his skin. "Wonder how that happened?" 

He pulled the other sock and shoe off. Taking a deep breath, he stood up again and gingerly put weight on his left foot. It didn't feel like it was sprained or broken; just uncomfortable. He headed into the bathroom to wash up, deciding to leave his socks and shoes off for the remainder of the night. 


	2. Chapter Two

Joe sat up in bed coughing. "Great," he groaned when he looked over at the LED clock and saw it was only a little after three in the morning. He tossed his quilt aside and put his feet on the floor, pleased to see the swelling had disappeared. He stood up and walked to the bathroom lifting his hand to his mouth as he coughed a bit more.

"You okay?" asked Frank, entering the bathroom from his bedroom as Joe opened the medicine cabinet.

"I think I'm catching a cold," Joe admitted, spying the cough syrup as another cough erupted from his throat.

Frank put the back of his hand against Joe's forehead. "You don't feel hot," he said, frowning. "But that's a nasty cough."

"This will take care of it," Joe said with conviction, holding up the bottle of syrup that he had bought only three days ago to replace the one he had polished off.

"Think you can sleep?" Frank asked, still looking worried. He remembered a night last summer after they had returned home from working on a mystery in Brazil when Joe had woken up sick in the middle of the night. He had been running a fever then that had kept getting worse. By the time he was admitted to the emergency room it had reached a hundred and five degrees. It had taken Joe three weeks to recover from what Dr. Bates, their family doctor, had deemed 'a very bad case of rheumatic fever'. Frank's frown deepened as he heard Dr. Bates words reverberate through his mind.

"Relax," Joe told him, grinning. "I'm okay."

"If you need anything?" offered Frank, lifting a brow.

"You'll hear me," promised Joe. "Go back to bed."

"After you," Frank replied.

Sighing, Joe returned to bed and pulled the quilt up to his chest. "Night, bro," he said, smiling. He didn't ever want Frank to know, but he thought Frank's over-protectiveness was cool. It was nice to be cared about so much. 

"Night, Joe," Frank said, smiling at him before returning to his own room. He climbed back in bed wishing for the umpteenth time that they still shared a room.

"Wake up, Baby Brother," Frank said, entering Joe's room the next morning. Joe opened his eyes and stretched lazily while Frank looked on. "How are you feeling this morning?" Frank asked as Joe slowly got out of bed.

"Tired," confessed Joe. "But otherwise, I feel fine."

Frank checked Joe for a fever before commenting. "Okay, then," he said, smiling in relief. "Get a move on," he ordered, leaving Joe alone and heading downstairs.

The boys split up once they got to school and it wasn't until lunch that Frank got to see Joe again. He picked up his tray and headed to the table populated by Joe and their friends. He started frowning when Joe began coughing again.

"You should have that checked out," Frank said, taking his seat between Joe and his blond headed girlfriend, Callie Shaw.

"It's no big deal," Joe denied once his cough had subsided. "Just a nuisance."

"Either tell mom when you get home or I will," threatened Frank, sure their mother would take Joe to the doctor.

"All right, already," Joe gave in with a scowl. "As soon as practice is over I'll go straight home and tell her."

"Since Joe has practice, why don't I take you home this afternoon?" Callie suggested, looking into Frank's beautiful brown eyes. "We can hang out at the park for a little while."

"Why don't we watch the guys practice?" Frank countered her offer. "We could..."

"Boring!" chirped Joe, knowing Frank was only making the suggestion because he was worried. "Go with Callie. I'm all right."

"Move it, Hardy!" snapped Coach Olsen as Joe began lagging behind his teammates during their pre-practice workout.

Joe tried to run faster but gave up as a pain streaked through his chest. He came to a standstill and dropped his hands onto his knees as he gasped for breath.

Chet and Biff, both members of Bayport High's football team, looked back. Seeing Joe, they did an about face and ran to his side. Suspecting something was wrong, the other teammates came to a halt and turned to watch as Coach Olsen ran up to Joe, Biff and Chet.

"What's wrong?" Olsen demanded, his green eyes reflecting concern. Joe was without a doubt one of the team's best players and he needed Joe in top form for the forthcoming game.

Joe shook his head. He still wasn't able to speak. "He's sick," Chet said. "He's been coughing all day."

"Go home," Olsen ordered Joe. "Get some rest. If you're still sick in the morning then make sure and see a doctor or don't come to practice."

Joe nodded as the coach walked away. "Need any help getting home?" asked Biff.

"N...no," Joe gasped, still panting a bit. "But...but I think I will get mom to take me to see Dr. Bates," he added, finally standing up straight. "This is ridiculous."

Joe slowly made his way back to the locker room. After a quick shower he headed out to the van, knowing without looking that his ankle had swollen up again because it was starting to hurt.

"Aren't you home early?" asked Fenton Hardy as Joe entered the house a little later.

"Yeah, but so are you," retorted Joe with a grin.

"I lost Loewan's trail," confessed Fenton. "I had to come home to go over my file again. What about you? Why aren't you at football practice?" he asked, his forehead creasing in concern as Joe limped into the living room.

"Coach sent me home," Joe informed his father as he sank onto the sofa wearily. "I couldn't catch my breath during practice."

Fenton touched Joe's forehead. "You don't have a fever," he said, his brown eyes narrowed in concern.

"No, but I have been coughing a lot lately," confessed Joe. "I even woke Frank up last night because of it. He made me promise to tell mom when I got home."

"Laura's out shopping," Fenton said. "So why don't we leave her and your brother a note and I'll take you to see Dr. Bates?"

"Okay," agreed Joe. He stayed put while his father wrote the note and went to hang it up on the bulletin board in the kitchen. When his dad returned he got off the couch and gingerly put his foot down on the floor.

"How did you hurt your ankle?" Fenton asked, helping Joe out to the car.

"I didn't," Joe replied. "It was swollen last night but this morning the swelling was gone."

"Looks like it's back," Fenton stated with a frown. "We'll have the doctor check that out too."

"Who is this guy you're after?" Joe asked once they were underway.

"Yamine Loewan," Fenton answered. "He's been smuggling contraband into the country."

"Not your usual kind of case," observed Joe.

"No," admitted Fenton. "But Aaron Darylmple asked me to look into the matter. He's a friend of mine from high school."

"Anything Frank and I can do to help?" Joe asked hopefully.

Fenton smiled. Even though Joe wasn't feeling well he still couldn't resist a mystery. "Not this time," he answered, with a shake of his head. "I've got all the evidence I need against him. It's just that Loewan has been too elusive to capture." 


	3. Chapter Three

"What seems to be the matter?" asked Dr. Bates, a portly man with a balding head and caring blue eyes beneath wire-framed glasses when he entered the examination room where Fenton and Joe had been waiting for almost ten minutes.

"I have a cough that's getting out of hand; I've been getting short of breath; and my ankle keeps swelling," Joe rattled off his list of troubles raising a finger for each one.

"Does the shortness of breath come after heavy exertion?" Dr. Bates asked, holding the head of his stethoscope in his hand to warm it up before he put it to Joe's chest.

"Sometimes," Joe answered looking at the doctor from his position on the examining table and not seeing the deepening look of concern on his father's face. "Lately, I even get winded just going from one floor of the school to the next."

Dr. Bates put the instrument to Joe's chest as Joe erupted into a fit of coughing. "Well, I guess I won't have to ask you to cough, will I?" Dr. Bates asked with a smile that never quite reached his eyes after Joe had finished. "Now that we did that part, how about taking a deep breath?"

When he was finished listening to Joe's chest he stepped back. "He's hurt his ankle as well," Fenton said as the doctor got a tongue depressor to check Joe's throat. 

"Yeah," Joe picked up. "It was swollen last night but it went away and came back this afternoon."

"Anything else wrong?" Dr. Bates asked, stopping in front of Joe with the tongue depressor ready. "Insatiable thirst? Pain?"

"No thirst," Joe answered. "But I did have a sharp pain kind of streak across my chest this afternoon when I couldn't catch my breath."

"Can you show me where?" asked Dr. Bates. Joe made a motion near his heart from the left to the right. "Have you felt that kind of pain before?"

"No," Joe answered. 

"Let's finish your check up and then I want to get an X-ray of your ankle," Dr. Bates said. "Open up and say ahh."

"Joe, if you'll go with Nurse Wilkinson she will take an X-ray of your ankle," Dr. Bates said, smiling at Joe as the woman walked into the room. "Fenton, a word?" he asked as Fenton started to follow Joe from the room.

"What's wrong?" asked Fenton. The doctor's regressive countenance had not gone unnoticed during Joe's check-up.

"I want the X-ray to rule out any possibility of a sprain," Dr. Bates said. 

"You don't think it's an injury?" queried Fenton. "But why would his ankle swell?"

"Fenton, sit down," Dr, Bates requested.

His heart rate picking up speed, Fenton did as he had been bidden. "Joe's symptoms, coupled with my exam thus far, lead me to believe that there may be something seriously wrong with him."

"What?" demanded Fenton, his brown eyes horror stricken.

"I'm not sure," Dr. Bates replied. "But I want to admit him to Bayport General for an electrocardiogram and some other tests."

"He's only seventeen!" Fenton objected. "And he's always been in great health."

"Until he had rheumatic fever last summer," Dr. Bates corrected him. "Joe's developed a heart murmur," he explained. "That in itself is cause for some concern but most people don't have problems with it and those that do generally wait until they are much older."

"But?" prompted Fenton.

"But all the symptoms Joe is experiencing can be chalked up to heart disease," stated Dr. Bates. 


	4. Chapter Four

"Hear..heart disease?" Fenton asked in a strangled voice. 

"Put your head between you knees," Dr. Bates instructed him, reaching out and pushing Fenton into a chair and positioning his head forward. Fenton had paled so considerably that Dr. Bates thought the man might pass out. "Breathe," he ordered. 

After a few seconds Fenton sat up. "Are you sure?" he demanded, fear showing in his eyes.

"No, I'm not," the doctor answered. "That's why I want some tests run. But I am convinced that there is something wrong with Joe and if he doesn't undergo these tests then we may not discover what it is. And that could be fatal if it is his heart."

"I understand," Fenton replied. "When do you want him to have the tests?"

"Today," Dr. Bates stated. "I'm going to make out a list of instructions and I want you to take them to Bayport General Admissions. They will start the tests and I will be over as soon as I finish up here."

Fenton nodded. "One more thing," Dr. Bates said. "He will have to spend the night. One of the tests requires around the clock monitoring."

Fenton nodded. "Are you going to tell Joe?" he asked.

"He will have to know," Dr. Bates said. "He is going to have the tests and he isn't the sort to just let people do things to him without asking questions. Lying won't help him but if he knows what he may be facing then perhaps he will be more compliant."

"Joe? Compliant?" Fenton asked in a bemused tone. Never, he thought. Not without a battle.

Joe returned to the room a little later and Dr. Bates went to check the X-rays. Joe lay down on the examining table and closed his eyes. "Son?" Fenton asked, his tone soft.

Joe opened one eye and looked at his father. "Are you all right?" Fenton asked.

"Yeah," Joe answered, closing his eye again. "Just kind of tired. I think I'll take a nap when I get home."

"Son," Fenton said, clearing his throat. "Dr. Bates wants you to go to Bayport General for some tests."

"Today?" Joe demanded wearily. He really was tired. Not sleepy tired exactly, just tired.

"Yes," Fenton answered. "He said you would have to stay the night."

"Okay," Joe agreed. That wasn't so bad, Joe thought. He could at least get some rest there.

Joe's ready acceptance of the plan without questioning why only served to deepen Fenton's fear that Joe was sicker than he was letting on. "Son?" he asked again after swallowing the lump that had risen in his throat. "You did tell Dr. Bates everything, right? There isn't anything else wrong that you didn't mention? No matter how small or insignificant you think it might be?"

"What's wrong?" asked Joe, opening his eyes and sitting up. "What did he tell you while I was gone?"

"Shh," Fenton said, putting a hand on Joe's shoulder to keep him from getting off the table. "He doesn't know for sure what's wrong but..." he swallowed before continuing. "But he says the rheumatic fever you had last summer has left you with a heart murmur."

"Is that all?" asked Joe without any concern. He lay back down. "Mrs. Bender has one of those. She was born with one."

Before Fenton could say anymore Dr. Bates returned to the room. "Nothing is showing up on the X-rays," he said. "And that probably means the swelling is caused by fluid retention."

"Is there anything I can take for that?" asked Joe.

"There is," acknowledged the doctor. "But I want to run some other tests before I give you anything."

"Yeah, Dad mentioned that," Joe said. "Just overnight, though?" he asked. "We're playing Southport this weekend and I need to get some practice in."

"We'll know more after the tests," Dr. Bates said, not making any promises. "Here is the paper I mentioned," he said, handing a sheet of paper to Fenton. "I had Nurse Wilkinson call so they will be expecting Joe."

"Thank you," Fenton said, taking the paper.

"I'll be there in a little while to go over the results with you," the doctor continued. "You might want to have Laura and Frank there," he suggested in an aside as Joe got off the table and went behind the curtain to dress. 


	5. Chapter Five

Fenton drove Joe to Bayport General and parked on the second level. They took the six steps up to the area where the elevators were located and waited for the next one to open its doors. Seconds later, Fenton pushed the button for the main floor. 

"Why don't you sit down here while I take care of the forms?" Fenton suggested, helping Joe limp into the lobby and sit down on one of the chairs. He returned a few minutes later with an orderly who was pushing a wheelchair.

"Is that necessary?" asked Joe, making a face.

"Policy," the orderly replied with a cheerful grin.

"Has anyone ever told you that you enjoy your job too much?" Joe demanded sourly.

The young man laughed, flashing a set of pearly whites. "Sure," he admitted. "But only the ones with lemons in their mouths."

"Touche," Joe acknowledged, grinning as he took a seat in the chair.

"I'm sorry, Sir," the orderly said to Fenton as he started to follow them. "But you will have to wait out here."

"All right," Fenton agreed, smiling even though Joe could tell it was one his father used when he wasn't happy at all. Fenton looked at Joe. "I'm going to call your mom and Frank and let them know what's going on," he said. "I'll be here when you're done," he promised.

"Okay," Joe agreed, giving his dad a funny look before being wheeled away.

Fenton went over to the courtesy phone and lifted the receiver. "Frank?" Fenton asked after placing his call and waiting for the receiver to be picked up.

"Yes," Frank acknowledged with a frown. His dad sounded upset. "What happened? Are you in trouble?" he asked, not having seen the note his dad had left yet.

"Is your mother home?" Fenton asked.

"No," Frank answered. "I guess she took Joe to the doctor. He was coughing a lot earlier and I made him promise to tell mom when he got home after practice."

"Your mother went shopping," Fenton informed Frank. "Joe was sent home early because he was having problems at practice so I took him to see Dr. Bates."

"Is he all right?" demanded Frank anxiously.

"No," Fenton answered. "But don't ask what's wrong because I don't know yet. The doctor sent him to Bayport General for some tests. That's where we are now. Wait for your mother and then come on over," he instructed. "And bring Joe a change of clothes and his toothbrush. He has to stay overnight."

"Dad, how serious is it?" Frank demanded.

"It has something to do with his heart," Fenton answered. "That's all I know for sure at this point. He has developed a heart murmur. The doctor said it was a side effect from the rheumatic fever."

"So he will just have to take it easy for awhile?" asked Frank, praying that was all.

"Son," Fenton said softly. "Joe's having trouble breathing as well as fluid retention and the coughing."

"But...but they can give him something for that, right?" Frank pleaded for an affirmative answer.

"We'll know more after the tests," Fenton said. "Just wait for Laura and then come on over. I'm in the lobby. They wouldn't let me go with him while he was having the tests."

Frank hung up the phone and stared at it, not hearing the door open and his mother enter. How could Joe have heart trouble? He was only seventeen. 


	6. Chapter Six

Fenton leapt to his feet when he saw Laura and Frank enter the lobby. "Any word yet?" demanded Laura, running into her husband's arms. Frank had told her about Joe when she had gotten home and they had left as soon as Frank had grabbed the items his father had requested he bring. The items Laura had purchased at the store had been left sitting on the counter in the kitchen.

"No," Fenton answered after taking a deep breath. "He hasn't been back there very long," he added. Although it seems like an eternity, he added silently.

"Let's sit down," Fenton suggested, hugging Laura but looking at Frank. 

"Why didn't I notice something was wrong?" Laura moaned. 

"None of us did," Fenton told her. "Not even Joe thought there was anything wrong except for the coughing and swelling."

"He thought he was catching a cold," Frank said. "Why would we think anything different?"

"Because I'm his mother," snapped Laura. "I should have known."

Fenton kissed the top of her head and pulled her as close as the chairs would allow. "Shh," he whispered. "It isn't your fault. It isn't anyone's fault. And the symptoms haven't been around for too long. We may have caught it early...before there is too much damage."

"Mr. Hardy?" asked a woman in her late thirties wearing a nurse's uniform as she approached.

"Yes?" Fenton stood up quickly along with Laura and Frank.

"Your son has finished with the tests for today," she informed the worried family. "He's been taken to room four oh five. It's a restricted area," she continued. "You can visit him only for a little while."

"I want to stay with him," Laura asserted.

"I'm sorry ma'am," the nurse refused. "He is under constant supervision," she explained kindly. "The room has a glass wall so he is seen by the nurse at the station. He is also hooked up to a heart monitor and a blood pressure monitor. He will not be left alone for any length of time."

"But I'm his mother," Laura complained.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the nurse said, giving Laura a sympathetic look. "But it isn't just policy. We need to check his vitals on a continual basis to make sure he will be all right on his own once he is dismissed from the hospital. If he became uncovered and the change in temperature caused some kind of effect we wouldn't know it because you would probably cover him up here but you might not if he were at home in bed."

"Could a change in temperature really cause something to happen to him?" asked Frank.

"Cold weather has been shown to have a negative effect on heart patients," the nurse admitted. "Granted, the change inside probably would not warrant a reaction but that is only one of the variables we keep track of while he is undergoing this phase of testing."

"But you said he was finished testing," Fenton objected.

"His stress test is finished," the nurse clarified.

"How did it go?" asked Frank.

"I'm not allowed to say," the nurse answered. "But his doctor will be in to see him shortly and he will tell you the results then."

"Thank you," Fenton said. As the nurse walked away the Hardys made their way to the elevator and took it to the fourth floor.

They arrived on the fourth floor then had to wait at the entryway of the passage to room 401 to 415. The area was limited to immediate family members of the patients and then only for a short period of time.

After being buzzed through, they quickly found Joe who was in the room directly in front of the nurses' station. As the nurse downstairs had told them, only a glass wall separated Joe from them.

"Hey, baby brother," Frank said, stepping through the open doorway before his parents and moving to Joe's side in a split second.

Joe opened his mouth to return the greeting but began coughing instead. Both monitors above Joe's head began elevating but slowed down as his coughing fit ceased. "Sorry," Joe said, looking at his family with a faint smile.

Laura leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Don't apologize," she told him. "You can't help it."

"How are you feeling, Son?" asked Fenton, forcing a smile on his face as he ruffled Joe's hair in a seemingly carefree manner.

"I'd feel better if you wouldn't act so weird," Joe answered seriously. "You're starting to give me the wiggins."

"We aren't acting weird," objected Laura.

"No?" countered Joe, tilting his head as he looked at her. "You basically told me I didn't have to have manners just now and the smile on Dad's face is as phony as a three-dollar bill."

Fenton sighed and let his smile vanish. "I'm sorry," he apologized looking down into Joe's eyes with sad brown ones.

"Look, I know there's something wrong with me," Joe said. "I'm not an idiot. They even had to stop the treadmill and put me on a table. They gave me some kind of shots to finish my stress test." He wished he hadn't told them when he saw them pale and felt Frank's grip tighten. "But I'm in the hospital," Joe continued. "They can fix me up."

"Hello," Dr. Bates said, entering the room. He had head Joe's speech and was saddened because he knew it was much more serious than Joe imagined.

"How is he?" Laura demanded, her blue eyes fearful as they met the doctor's.

"Not so good," Dr, bates said. "I have contacted Dr. Philip Lane," he continued. "He is a heart specialist. Fortunately, he is already here visiting another patient and he said he would stop by shortly."

"Has he seen the results of Joe's tests?" asked Fenton.

"He will have before he comes in," Dr. Bates assured them.

"How sick am I?" asked Joe.

"I can't say with any certainty," Dr. Bates admitted. "I have had some training in the field but Dr. Lane knows all there is to know. He is considered the best in his field."

"That's good," Frank commented with a bit of relief. He only wanted the best for his brother.

Dr. Bates left after telling Joe he would see him again. Joe closed his eyes. Frank could tell he was tired. His complexion was pale and his lips were turned down just a bit. Frank held a finger to his lips as he looked over at his parents who nodded their understanding.

"I'm Dr. Lane," announced a tall, slender man with curly red hair and freckles as he entered Joe's room a little later.

Joe opened his eyes in time to see his father shaking the doctor's hand. "Can you tell us what is going on with Joe?" Frank asked from his position at Joe's side.

"Not with certainty," Dr. Lane stated, his brown eyes fixed on Joe as he neared. "The stress test and the echocardiogram weren't very good," he announced. "But I guess you already knew that," he added, smiling down at Joe.

Joe nodded. "Well, about the stress test anyway," he clarified. 

"I want to perform a catheterization tomorrow morning," Lane continued. "It is the only way for a positive diagnosis."

"So you do have some idea of what is wrong with me?" Joe deduced. Dr. Lane hesitated briefly before giving him a curt nod.

"Can you tell me?" asked Joe.

"I would rather wait until I know for sure," Dr. Lane replied. "I don't want you to worry for nothing but neither do I want to give you false hope."

"So this could be something minor after all?" inquired Laura hopefully.

"No," Dr. Lane answered. "It isn't anything minor but after the catheterization we should know if it is something we can fix."

Or not. Dr. Lane never said the words but they hung in the air none-the-less and all but suffocated the Hardys with their implication. 


	7. Chapter Seven

"You'll have to leave now," a nurse said coming into the room. "Visitation is over and I need to check Joe's temperature."

Frank looked down at his younger brother. Although an inch shorter his build was larger and as such he could only call Joe his little brother because of the age difference. Until now, thought Frank sadly. In this antiseptic white room Joe looked pale, scared and small. "Don't worry bro," Frank said, squeezing the hand he hadn't relinquished his entire visit. "We will be here bright and early to see you before it starts."

"I know," Joe replied, smiling bravely. He let his mom kiss his cheek and hug him gently and then his father ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his forehead.

"If you need anything have one of the nurse's call us," Frank said, his worried brown eyes looking down into Joe's blue ones.

"I will," promised Joe. "G'night," he added, pretending to be sleepy once again so Frank wouldn't feel so bad about leaving him alone.

"Wow, the machine is full," Frank said in surprise upon checking the answering machine when he and his parents got home.

"Don't sound so surprised," Laura admonished him. "Naturally your friends are going to want to know how Joe is doing."

"But we worked out a plan so that if anyone wants to find out about either of us when something happens they just call Callie or Vanessa because we'll always call them first," Frank said, frowning.

"Play the messages," Fenton instructed. "Then we will find out who they are from."

Frank grimaced and started the machine. The first message was from Sam Peterson, Fenton's old partner when he worked as an officer with the New York City Police Department and the current NYPD Chief of Police. "Fenton, this is Sam Peterson. Call me." 

The second message was almost the same. "Fenton, it's been over an hour now. Call me."

The third message was again from Sam. "Fenton. It's urgent. Call me."

The machine finished playing the taped messages and all of them were cryptic, non-informational messages from Sam Peterson. "I had better call him," Fenton said, frowning.

"You are not going anywhere!" Laura snapped, eyeing him angrily. "Joe is having his catheterization in the morning."

"No, I'm not," Fenton assured her. "But if there is something I can do here, tonight, then I will." He kissed her cheek then ran up the steps to his office leaving Frank and Laura alone.

"You had better call the girls," Laura instructed Frank. "They will want to know."

"And Vanessa will want to be there tomorrow," added Frank as he started upstairs to his room.

"Are you sure?" Fenton demanded in a strangled voice causing Frank to pause in the doorway of his dad's office on the second floor just two doors away from his room. "Yes, yes," Fenton continued. "I'm leaving now."

"You promised!" snarled Frank entering the room as his dad hung up the phone. "You..."

"I'm going to the hospital," Fenton interrupted him. "Call Chief Collig and tell him Roland Deerborne has escaped from the state pen. He probably already knows," Fenton added. "But he won't know I'm the one who sent him there. Deerborne swore revenge and Sam just let me know the warden told him that Deerborne had a collection of newspaper clippings of Joe hidden in his mattress."

"I'm going with you," decreed Frank. "I'll call the chief from my cell."

"Stay with your mother," snapped Fenton in exasperation. He didn't have time for an argument. "Deerborne could decide she would be an easier target."

Frank followed his dad downstairs. "Where are you...." Laura began angrily as Fenton rushed past her and opened the front door.

"Hurry," Frank told him, putting a hand on his mom's shoulder. Fenton nodded, knowing Frank would fill Laura in, and left the house.

Frank snatched up the handset from the table by the door and called the Bayport Police Department. Laura listened as Frank passed his father's message to the chief.

"Let's go," Laura said after Frank had hung up. "If your father can stay with Joe then we can too."

Frank grinned. That was his belief exactly and since his mom was going too then his dad couldn't complain about her being left alone. But before they could leave, the phone rang. Frank didn't want to answer it but he hadn't turned the answering machine back on. With a frustrated sigh, he lifted the receiver. "Hardy residence."

"Frank, how is Joe?" demanded Vanessa in a worried tone.

"Not good," answered Frank. "He's scheduled for a catheterization first thing in the morning."

"What's wrong with him?" asked Vanessa with a distinctive sniffle that let Frank know she was crying.

"The doctor wouldn't say," replied Frank. "But he did say that after the cath they should know for sure."

"Is Joe there?"

"He's in the hospital," Frank informed her. "He is in a special ward where he is being constantly monitored," Frank continued. "You won't be able to see him until after the cath."

"Tell him I love him," Vanessa instructed Frank.

"I will," promised Frank. "Don't worry," he added. "Joe's a survivor. He'll pull through this."

"He had better," Vanessa stated emphatically. "Goodnight, Frank."

"Goodnight, Vanessa," Frank said. "Oh!" he shouted before she could ring off. "Would you call Callie and let her know?" he requested. "We're on our way back to the hospital."

"Of course," she agreed before hanging up.

Frank moved the earpiece away bur froze when he heard another click. "Wait here," he ordered his mother, dropping the receiver and racing up the stairs. He saw a shadow move through the doorway of Joe's open bedroom door and ran in, realizing too late how stupid the move was.

He squeezed his eyes shut as one of Joe's trophies came crashing down on the back of his head. Without uttering a sound, he fell to the floor unconscious. 


	8. Chapter Eight

"Well now, what have we here?" asked Deerborne arriving at the foot of the steps and smiling maliciously at Laura through cold brown eyes.

"What did you do to my son?" Laura demanded bravely, glaring up at the six foot three intruder as she held her purse tightly clutched in one hand with her other hand inside of it.

"He's....taking a nap," Deerborne answered. "Why don't we take a ride?" he continued, stepping toward her but stopping as she pulled her hand out of her purse.

"You won't use that," Deerborne stated snidely as his lips twitched in amusement.

Laura aimed her Derringer at Deerborne's privates even as her eyes met his. She never said a word, only quirked her left eyebrow at him.

Deerborne's demeanor faltered and he began backing to the front door. When he bumped into the knob he reached behind him and twisted it. Opening the door he couldn't resist smirking at the brave woman. "You're not who I wanted anyway," he said before disappearing into the night.

Laura stowed her gun, shut and locked the door in case Deerborne should try to return, then ran upstairs. "Frank!" she cried out when she reached the top of the steps and heard a faint moan coming from Joe's room.

"Frank," Laura repeated, hurrying into the bedroom and kneeling on the floor beside Frank who was conscious and attempting to rise. "Stay still," she ordered him.

Frank groaned but ceased moving. His eyelids flickered once before opening. "Look at me, baby," Laura commanded, taking Frank's chin in her hand and getting him to look her in the eyes.

"It doesn't look like you have a concussion," she said. "How does it feel?"

"Like I got beamed with a trophy," answered Frank with a wry twist to his lips.

Laura sighed in relief. "Need some help getting up?" she asked, standing up.

"No," Frank declined the offer. He slowly got to his feet and touched the back of his head. Pulling his hand around he was pleased to see the trophy hadn't broken his skin because there was no blood. "What happened to him?"

"He took off," Laura told him. "He said I wasn't the one he wanted."

"Joe," stated Frank, his lips tightening. "Call the police and let them know Deerborne is in town and he knows Joe is in the hospital," he instructed his mother. "I'll pull the van out of the garage and we can go."

"What's going on?" Joe demanded in alarm as his father and Sergeant Con Riley entered his room. Joe's monitor started beeping as he sat up.

"Lay back down," commanded Fenton roughly. "There's nothing wrong," he added in a softer tone.

"Then why is Con here?" countered Joe, laying back down and eyeing the twenty something police officer with curly brown hair and brown eyes.

Nurse Finway entered and took hold of Joe's wrist, glaring at Fenton and Sergeant Riley as she did so.

"An old enemy of mine has escaped from prison," Fenton informed his son. "And I want to make sure you're safe."

"Another one of..." Joe began but broke off coughing. When he finished, he gave his dad a wry smile. "Another one who wants me because I'm the baby, huh?"

"'Fraid so," admitted Fenton.

"Don't upset him," Nurse Finway ordered Fenton.

"He's not upsetting me," Joe denied her accusation. "It's better if we know in advance so we can take precautions." The nurse looked at Joe in disbelief. "Honest. I've been through this loads of times and am used to it."

"Unfortunately," Fenton spit out without meaning too.

The nurse harrumphed and left the three males alone. Joe's monitor was once again silent as he adjusted his bed so that he could be in a sitting position. "Where's Frank?" he asked.

"At home," answered Fenton. "It was hard enough getting your doctor to let us in here after hours."

"Hey kiddo," Con said, smiling at Joe. "How are you doing?"

"I've been better," Joe replied, smiling back at the officer who had been his friend almost as long as he could remember.

Joe's blue eyes sought out his father's brown ones. "When are you leaving?" he asked.

"I'm not," answered Fenton.

"But don't you have to go to the prison and see if he left anything that might tell you where he was going?" Joe asked in confusion. He knew how his father worked and that was always one of the first things his dad did when someone he had put away escaped.

"He's coming to Bayport," Fenton informed his youngest son.

"But what if he doesn't?" pushed Joe. "You need..."

"Son, I need to be here," Fenton said gently. "The police can handle Deerborne. My only function in the manhunt is to makes sure you and your mother and brother are safe."

"Mr. Hardy," Nurse Finway said, poking her head in the open doorway. "Your wife and son are in the lobby."

"Go on," Con told Fenton. "I'll keep an eye on Joe."

"What are you doing here?" Fenton asked when he met Frank and Laura in the lobby.

Frank told his dad about the intruder at home. "We have to protect Joe," he ended.

"Con is in with Joe now," Fenton said. "We're both staying with Joe until his surgery but getting clearance for the two of us wasn't easy," he continued with an apologetic look. "There's no way they will let the two of you stay as well."

"We can stay in the lobby," Laura said, reluctant to leave her baby again.

"No," Fenton said, taking Laura's hand and squeezing it. "You two need to get some rest," he insisted. "Someone will have to stay with Joe and make sure he doesn't move once he is out of surgery."

"You will call us if anything happens?" demanded Frank.

"Of course," promised Fenton. "Now go home and get some sleep. I will see you in the morning."

"How about some cocoa?" Laura asked Frank when he entered the kitchen later that night.

"Thanks," Frank replied with a tired sigh as he sat down.

"I thought you were only going to call Vanessa and Callie," Laura said as she busied herself adding milk to the sugar and cocoa mixture.

"I was but Phil called before I got a chance and as soon as we hung up Chet called," explained Frank. "At any rate, that's going to be one crowded hospital tomorrow," he added with a smile.

"But it's a school day," Laura said.

"They are skipping," Frank informed her. "They already got permission from their parents."

"I'm glad you boys have such loyal friends," Laura said.

"Me too," Frank concurred.

"Mr. Hardy, you have a phone call," Nurse Finway informed Fenton in a whisper at a little after to a.m.

"Thank you," Fenton whispered back and stood up. He followed her to the nurses' station where she handed him the receiver.

"Fenton, this is Sam," Fenton heard a furtive sound in the voice of his friend and associate, Sam Radley. "We have a problem."

"Can you handle it?" inquired Fenton. "Joe..."

"I know, Fenton," Sam said gently. "I'm sorry about Joe. I hope his tests go well."

"Me too," agreed Fenton. "What's the problem?"

"Loewan and Deerborne have hooked up," Sam dropped the bombshell. "My snitch saw them together at The Golden Dagger," he continued. "The snippet I got was that not only are they joining forces but that they are planning on grabbing Joe before he leaves the hospital. They plan on keeping him as a hostage until Loewan finishes with his last shipment and then Deerborne was going to get to finish Joe off." 


	9. Chapter Nine

Frank and Laura arrived at the hospital early the next morning and were surprised to see Aaron Mitchell, Todd Tyler and Charlie Fleet near the entrance leading to the heart ward. The men were professional bodyguards that Fenton used whenever he was placed in charge of security at political events.

"What are you guys doing here?" Frank asked with more than a hint of anxiety in his voice.

"Your dad called first thing this morning and requested our presence," Charlie informed Frank. His pale blue eyes were sad as they met Frank's curious brown ones. "I'm sorry about Joe," he added. "But he's a tough kid. It can't be too serious."

"He's right," agreed Aaron, giving a Frank a kind smile that almost overwhelmed his hazel eyes. "Joe's the most athletic person I know."

"And they say exercise is the best thing for a person," put in Todd, wiping a stray strand of red hair out of his face.

"I hope you're right," Laura said trying to smile but falling far short.

The secure door opened and Fenton exited the ward. "How is he?" Laura demanded.

"He's still sleeping," Fenton informed her. "He was up coughing most of the night."

"Dad, what's going on?" asked Frank. "Why did you call Aaron and the others?"

"Sam got in touch with me earlier," Fenton stated in a grave tone. "Deerborne and Loewan, the man I have been after for the past couple of weeks, have joined forces. Sam got wind of their plans to abduct Joe before he is released."

Frank snarled something that caused everyone to look at him in shock. "Sorry," he apologized, blushing under the scrutiny.

Fenton put a hand on Frank's shoulder before continuing. "I'm going to talk to Todd, Aaron and Charlie about guarding Joe," he said. "Joe doesn't know and I don't want him to find out. He shouldn't have to deal with any stress right now. So, no mention of who is here," he warned.

"Won't Joe see them?" asked Laura, the corners of her eyes crinkling as her face reflected even more concern.

"No," Fenton answered. "Only family will be allowed in his room. Apart from the staff that is," he amended. "And that is what I am going to discuss with them. No one unknown, even in uniform, is going to be allowed to get near Joe."

"Can we see Joe now?" Laura asked.

"Yes," Fenton answered. "He is scheduled for pre-op in another thirty minutes," he added, looking at the clock on the wall. "I will be back in shortly."

Con stood as Laura and Frank entered Joe's room. "I'll wait outside," he said in a quiet voice when Joe moved his head and began coughing in short snippets.

"Hey, Baby Brother," Frank said softly as he approached Joe's bedside.

Joe gave him a brief, wan smile before finishing his cough. "G'morning," Joe said. "You look as bad as I feel," he told Frank.

"I missed you," Frank confessed with a self-conscious shrug.

"I've been in the hospital before," Joe reminded him.

"Well, sure," agreed Frank. "But before it has always been because you were hurt. You've never actually been sick."

"I've had pneumonia," Joe pointed out.

"But that isn't the same thing," Laura said, coming up beside Frank. "This time..."

"This time it's more serious and probably permanent," Frank ended somberly.

"Hey," Joe said, grasping his brother's hand. "There will have to be some changes, I'm sure," he admitted. "But they won't be too major. And as for now, well, I can be fixed. For the most part," he amended.

"Maybe," Frank said. "They don't even know for sure what is wrong with you yet."

"But they will after the catheterization," Joe said. "As grandma used to say, 'don't go borrowing trouble.' It might not be as bad as everyone thinks."

"My brother, the optimist," Frank said with a grin.

"Would you rather I were a pessimist?" Joe teased.

"Never!" Laura insisted, reaching out and ruffling his blond locks. "We like you just the way you are."

"Where's Dad?" Joe asked, realizing he wasn't there.

"He went to talk with your doctor," fibbed Laura.

"No, he didn't," Joe said with a shake of his head. "He's talking to Con or Chief Collig or someone like that."

"What makes you think that?" Frank asked a bit too quickly.

"Dad told me about Deerborne, last night when he and Con came to baby sit me," Joe answered.

"He did?" Laura demanded, her blue eyes flashing. She couldn't believe Fenton had told Joe about Deerborne's attack.

"Yeah, but don't worry," Joe continued. "He may not even show up and if he does come to Bayport, how would he know I'm in the hospital?"

Laura breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Frank whose brown eyes were a bit more relaxed than they had been seconds before. They were both relieved to know Fenton hadn't told Joe any more than Deerborne had escaped from prison.

"Sorry I took so long," Fenton said, coming back into the room. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked Joe, looking down at his youngest son with a wan smile.

"Tired," Joe answered truthfully. "But even more tired of being in here. I do get to go home this afternoon, right?" he asked.

"That depends on what the doctor finds," said Nurse Maple entering the room followed by two orderlies. "It's time to get you to pre-op," she added.

"We'll be waiting when you wake up," Fenton promised.

Nurse Maple supervised as the brake on Joe's bed was unlocked and he was wheeled out. "You can wait in the waiting room on the seventh floor," she told the remaining Hardys before she followed the orderlies. "Take the elevator at the end of the hall and when you get off make a left. It's at the end of that corridor."

"Thank you," Laura said gratefully.

"How is he?" Vanessa demanded, hurrying to Frank's side as he entered the waiting room.

"He's putting up a brave front," Frank said, taking her hand and squeezing it.

They took seats with the rest of their friends while Fenton and Laura listed themselves as present for when Joe's surgery was over.

"What's taking so long?" fretted Laura almost four hours later.

"I'll see if I can find out," said Fenton, standing up. He went up to the desk and spoke with the receptionist.

"What if something went wrong?" Vanessa asked, her eyes grayer than they had ever been.

"Nothing's going to go wrong," Frank said with forced conviction. "Joe's one of the luckiest people alive." Even as he said it he couldn't stop the nagging voice in his head telling him that Joe's luck had to run out sometime. 


	10. Chapter Ten

Fenton returned looking less anxious than when he had left. "Well?" snapped Laura impatiently.

"Joe was scheduled for the second catheterization," Fenton informed the group. "But the first patient had to have emergency open-heart surgery so Joe is still in pre-op."

"Why don't you kids go down to the cafeteria and get some lunch?" Fenton suggested. "It's going to be awhile."

"I couldn't eat anything," Frank declined the suggestion with a small shake of his head.

"Me either," concurred Vanessa. Tony, Callie, Phil, Biff, and even Chet were in agreement. Like Frank, they recognized the difference in the danger Joe was currently in.

"We will all go," Laura decided. "We can't do anything for Joe here and a break might do us all some good."

"But..." Frank began to object but Fenton put a restraining hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

As Frank left the waiting room he spotted Todd Tyler in conversation with an orderly. "Dad, does that guy look familiar to you?" he whispered in his father's ear.

Fenton looked over at the orderly, his keen eyes taking in everything about the man. "I don't recognize him," Fenton said. "But I have never seen an orderly wear those kind of shoes before." His eyes hardened as Tyler took a tight hold of the orderly's arm. Fenton moved away from Laura and the others with Frank by his side.

"Who are you?" demanded Frank as he and his dad neared the two men.

"Lionel Graves," Todd answered for the man. "A reporter for the Bayport Times."

"What are you doing here?" Fenton asked the man.

"Are you kidding?" Graves demanded in disbelief. "One of Bayport's most popular people is having health problems and there is an escaped prisoner after him."

"How do you know that?" asked Fenton, his face giving nothing away.

"I got a tip this morning," Graves confessed. "So would you care to give a statement?" he asked expectantly. "Or, better yet, how about an interview?"

"How about a bloody nose?" Frank countered angrily, grabbing the front of Graves' shirt and pulling him close as his right hand curled into a fist. If anything made him angry it was someone who wanted to use his brother in any way, shape or form.

"Easy," Fenton cautioned Frank, holding his right arm. "Who told you?" Fenton demanded of the reporter.

"I don't know," Graves said, looking a little uncomfortable. "Some guy called me at the office this morning."

"And you follow up every anonymous tip?" Fenton pushed.

"N...no," Graves admitted. "But I overheard Liz and the boss talking yesterday about Joe Hardy having problems at football practice."

"What makes you think Mr. Webling would print your story?" Frank snarled.

"Webling is fair," Graves defended his boss. "He would understand if I scooped his daughter."

"You..." Frank said, shaking free from his father's grip and preparing to let fly. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

"Enough!" snapped Fenton, stopping Frank once again. "Let him go," he ordered Frank.

"But..."

"Now," Fenton commanded sternly. He watched as Frank slowly released the reporter. "If I find you anywhere near Joe again I will press charges," Fenton told Graves. "Do you understand?"

"I'll quote you on that," Graves replied, smiling as Tyler escorted him from the room and toward the elevator.

"How could you just let him go?" Frank demanded angrily. "Slime like that..."

"Will be out of a job soon enough," Fenton finished for him. "The Bayport Times doesn't allow sensationalism," he reminded Frank. "And the Weblings are friends of ours. They would never print an article about your brother without checking with me first"

"You're right," Frank admitted. "But I still would have liked to deck the guy."

"Me too," Fenton confessed. "But we have enough to worry about now without your being arrested for assault and battery."

Frank looked contrite. "You're right," he said. "I'm sorry."

"What was that about?" Laura asked as Fenton and Frank returned to the waiting group. 

Fenton explained then hurriedly shushed the angry youths as they hissed their displeasure. Laura remained silent but her eyes turned to stone and her lips thinned showing her intense dislike of the reporter. "Go on down to the cafeteria," Fenton instructed them. "I'm going to wait here until Todd returns."

"I'll stay too," volunteered Frank.

"No, go ahead with the others," Fenton declined the offer.

Frowning, Frank fell in beside Callie as the group made their way to the elevator. Descending to the lobby they crossed the expanse, took a small set of stairs and entered the cafeteria.

"I think I'll call Liz and give her a heads up on Graves," Frank said sometime later as he laid his fork beside his plate.

"That's a good idea," Laura said, relieved. She had grown weary of watching Frank move his food about and lift the fork to his mouth only to lower it again untouched.

"I'll meet you guys upstairs," he excused himself. He carried his tray to the conveyor and set it down then took the nearest exit. Outside, Frank took a deep breath and looked up at the gloomy sky. No rays of sunshine filtered through the dismal mess of gray that his eyes encountered and the late summer's warmth was gone only to be replaced with a subtle chill that seeped into Frank's bones. Yes, the day fit his mood perfectly. 

He shivered as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open. He entered Liz's cell number and waited for her to answer, his eyes scanning the parking area for something he couldn't identify. 

"Hello?" a sultry voice answered.

"Liz, it's Frank," he said, spinning around to face the hospital as he spoke.

"Hi, Frank," Liz said. "How's Joe?"

"Still waiting for his turn in surgery," Frank replied. "Listen, one of your reporters was here," he began.

"Lionel Graves," Liz said, her voice hardening. "He called Dad a few minutes ago to know he was doing the story," she continued. "What a creep."

"Then why is he working there?" asked Frank.

"Because he had great references," Liz answered. "But he will be gone soon," she promised Frank. "He wanted to put the story in this evening's paper but Dad convinced him it was better to wait until tomorrow so we would know what was wrong with Joe."

"You're not going to put that in the paper!" Frank demanded harshly.

"Of course not," Liz denied. "But this way he won't try and take the story elsewhere. Tomorrow's paper won't have his article and when he asks Dad why not, Dad has already prepared his speech about ethics to send him packing."

"Thanks, Liz," Frank said, relieved. 

"No thanks are necessary," Liz said. "You guys are my friends. And besides," she added mischievously. "I get all the real scoops from you two."

"Well, thanks anyway," Frank said.

"Let us know how he's doing, okay?" Liz asked, turning serious. "And if there is anything we can do?"

"I'll call you when we find out," Frank promised before bidding her goodbye. He shut his cell phone and put it back in his pocket, turning to look around him one more time. 

His eyes scanned the area between the buildings, taking in the various personnel who were in the area, some attending patients in wheelchairs as they were wheeled to waiting vehicles for their trip home. He couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. 

Giving up, he turned around and headed back into the hospital. He made his way up a small flight of steps to the area housing the nearest elevator and pushed the up button. As he waited, a man in a blue raincoat stepped up beside him. Frank looked to see the newcomer, his muscles tense as the feeling of foreboding refused to go away. He relaxed a bit when the elderly man smiled wearily in greeting. 

"Nasty day," the man croaked.

"It's turning out to be one," Frank agreed, returning the man's smile.

"It's going to get much nastier," the man said as he and Frank entered the elevator. 

"I hadn't heard," Frank said, making polite conversation as he leaned forward and punched the button for the floor he wanted. 

"Just for you," the man said, his voice not nearly as feeble as it had first been. 

Frank spun around but was too late. The man's cane came up and a sword popped out of the bottom, forcing Frank against the side of the elevator as the sword's tip made contact with Frank's flesh.

"You can't get at Joe," Frank declared bravely. "He's too well protected."

"Of course he is," Deerborne agreed. "But you aren't," he added, running the sharp sword through Frank's upper stomach stopping only as it came into contact with the wall of the elevator. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

Deerborne pulled the cane back and wiped the tip of the sword with a kerchief before concealing it once again. Frank slid down the elevator's wall to the floor leaving a path of blood behind him. He sat there breathing heavily as he bled.

"It's funny," Deerborne said. "If your father had not made security so tight you could have been saved. After all, your brother is sick; dying. What would it have mattered if he had died by my hand instead of whatever fate had in store for him? But then, why should I stop with one son? Everyone will be expecting me to be long gone once you are found," Deerborne informed Frank. "After all, I did just kill Hardy's son as I intended. Who would expect me to take Joe as well? And yes, I think I will take him. Dear daddy will never know what was wrong with him. If he could have been saved? That's right, Frankie boy. I'm going to take your brother."

"N...no," Frank rasped, too weak from the loss of blood to put up any kind of fight.

"Don't worry, dear boy," Deerborne said as Frank's eyes began to close. "You and your brother will be together again shortly, for eternity."

Deerborne climbed onto Frank's shoulders and gave himself a boost toward the vent at the top of the elevator. He climbed through the vent and into the shaft. Slipping on a pair of gloves, he began climbing up. At the next level he paused long enough to remove the gloves and force the door open. 

Two nurses and one of Joe's bodyguards were there. "There's a young man in the elevator," Deerborne said in the elderly voice he had used to fool Frank. "I think...I think he's dying," he said, pretending to gasp for breath.

One of the nurses took Deerborne's hand "Come and sit down," she said. "I'll get a doctor to look at you," she told him as she led him away.

"Can we get the elevator started back up?" Charlie Fleet asked, looking at the remaining nurse.

She nodded and went to the nurse's station for a key to reset the control to override. By the time the elevator arrived a doctor and two orderlies were waiting. Charlie took one look at the lone occupant, his unconscious form held partially erect by the wall, and paled. He backed away and let the medical staff take over. 

Charlie went after the nurse and the old man. The old man had to be Loewan or Deerborne in disguise. He stopped and gasped when he saw the nurse lying in a crumpled heap just around the corner of the hall. He knelt down to check her pulse; unaware Deerborne was hiding just out of sight in the janitorial closet. Too late, Charlie heard a footfall. He turned in time to see a metal bed pan come crashing onto the side of his head. 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

"What is taking Frank so long?" asked Callie, seemingly mesmerized by the door. 

"He'll be here," Vanessa said. "He won't stay away until he finds out how Joe is doing."

The phone rang at the desk and the nurse looked at Fenton. "Mr. Hardy," she said. "You may take this here," she said, handing him the receiver as he came over with Laura, Callie and Vanessa following.

Alarmed because he knew the booths to the side of the room were for the families to take the calls about the patients, he lifted the receiver to his ear with trepidation. "Hello?" he said.

Fenton grasped the edge of the desk, his face whiter than the new sheets his wife had put on the bed earlier that morning. "How...how bad is it?" he rasped as his wife grasped his arm in a painfully tight grip.

"Yes, I'll be right down," Fenton said. He returned the phone to the nurse and took Laura in his arms. "Frank's been stabbed," he informed her.

"No," moaned Callie, tears springing to her eyes. "Is he..."

"He's in surgery two floors down," Fenton said. "Charlie was attacked as well," he said. 

"Poor Frank," gasped Vanessa.

"But they won't go after Joe now," Chet said coming to join Fenton and the women with the rest of his friends in tow.

"Want to bet?" Fenton countered grimly. "And I bet that is what Deerborne and Loewan are counting on. Boys, I want you to do something for me," he requested.

"Name it," Biff said.

"Fenton?" Laura stopped him, grabbing his arm. "Frank?"

"They are going to call up here as soon as his surgery is over," Fenton informed her. "Just stay here for now," he added, squeezing her hand tightly before releasing it and leaving with the boys.

"Okay, Mr. Hardy," said one of the two orderlies who entered pre-op. "They are ready for you now."

"Good," Joe said. "I'm getting hungry."

"Well, you won't be able to eat anything for a while but at least it will be over with soon," the orderly said.

The two men dislodged Joe's wheels and began moving Joe's bed as two men who had been in his room followed.

"You won't be allowed in the operating theater," one of the orderlies informed the men.

"We know," said Officer Tomlinson who was in plainclothes because he was doing this off duty. "But we're going with him as far as we are allowed."

The orderly shrugged and helped wheel Joe out of the room and down the corridor, aware they had picked up two more to the entourage. At the double doors of the operating room the four men came to a stop as Joe went through with the orderlies. A few minutes later the two orderlies exited. Two men took up sentry on each side of the doors.

"I know Joe is still in danger," Chet said, his face turning green as the operation began below them. Mr. Hardy had asked them to keep an eye on things while the surgery was in progress. Since no one but medical personnel were allowed in the actual operating theater, the boys had been allowed to watch from the observation room that medical students used to observe. "But do we really have to watch?"

"You don't have to," Phil told him, taking pity on his friend who looked like he was about to throw up. "Why don't you wait outside? If we need you, we'll get you or yell."

"Thanks," Chet said, relieved. He exited the room and took several deep breaths. Ugh! He was never going to go into medicine! Granted, he hadn't actually seen anything that would qualify as gory but just the thought was enough to do him in.

A little over an hour later Phil, Biff and Tony joined Chet in the corridor. "How did it go?"

"We don't know," Biff answered. "They are taking him back to his room now."

"We'll head back to the waiting room and go see Joe with Mrs. Hardy if they let us," Phil said.

The boys walked down the corridor and returned to the waiting room where Mrs. Hardy had been called into one of the booths.

"Have you heard anything about Frank yet?" Phil asked Callie.

"No," she answered. "And poor Mrs. Hardy is trying so hard to put up a brave front, but I know she broke down a little while ago. She went to the bathroom and when she came out her eyes were bloodshot."

Mrs. Hardy came out of the booth and joined the youths. "Joe is out and has been taken to room 445. His doctor will meet us there shortly to tell us the results."

"What about Frank?" asked Callie.

"Let me check with the nurse," Laura said. The youths took a seat while Laura approached the desk and put in a request. When she returned she told the teens that Frank was still in surgery and Fenton would call Joe's room once Frank was out. "Now, let's go see Joe," she ended.

When Fenton got off of the phone with Laura he looked at Chief Collig expectantly. He had entered the room while Fenton was talking and stood looking at Fenton with an air of excitement. "Find something?" Fenton asked.

"Not something," Collig said, his face breaking into a huge smile. "Someone. Two someones to be exact. Loewan and Deerborne. They were hiding out in a bathroom on the fourth floor. Officers Davenport and Johnson are escorting them to the station."

"That's the first good news I have had in along time," Fenton said, his face showing some a brief flash of relief before vanishing once again.

"Well, I have some more," said Dr. Billingsby from behind Collig. Collig stepped aside as the doctor entered the room. "Frank is out of surgery and is doing well. I want to keep him for a couple of days but he should make a full recovery."

"Thank God," breathed Fenton.

"He was very fortunate that we could treat his wound almost immediately after he had been attacked," the doctor said.

"Thank you," Fenton said. "Are you putting him in with his brother?"

"Sorry," Dr. Billingsby replied. "Joe is in the cardiac ward and it isn't allowed."

"Can I see him?" Fenton asked.

"He's in room eight twelve," Fenton was informed. "But he's unconscious still."

"Thank you," Fenton said again. He left the room and made his way to the elevator where he took it back up to the fourth floor. There he made his way to Joe's room. 

"How is Frank?" Laura asked as Fenton entered the room.

"He's going to be fine," Fenton told her and the teens. "He's in room 812 but is still sleeping. Where's Joe?" he asked, noticing the lack of bed.

"They haven't brought him in yet," Laura said.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to go wait with Frank while you wait for Joe," Callie said. "Let me know how Joe is doing?" she asked.

"Thank you Callie," Laura said, relieved. She didn't want Frank to wake up alone but felt she needed to be here for Joe too.

"I'll see if they took him back to another room," Fenton said, exiting. He hadn't even reached the nurses' station when he came face to face with a somber looking Con Riley.

"Johnson and Davenport are dead," Con informed Fenton. "And Joe and his doctor are missing." 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

"Search everywhere!" snapped Fenton.

"We are," Con assured him.

"What about the men who were watching Joe?" demanded Fenton. "How did Deerborne and Loewan get by them?"

Con turned red. "Once Davenport reported he and Johnson had captured Loewan and Deerborne, they were dismissed," he answered.

"By whose authority?" Fenton demanded haughtily.

"The chief's, Sir," Con replied honestly.

Fenton rushed past Con with a thunderous expression. He ran to the steps and crashed into Officer Simpson. "Sir, the chief asked me to find you," the officer said to Fenton, reaching out and grabbing one of Fenton's arms to steady him. "He is in the emergency room."

Fenton acknowledged the information then ran down the steps, hoping the anger he felt would be expended with his energy release. He reached the bottom floor and took a deep breath before entering the lobby. He walked quickly through the lobby to the entrance of the emergency room.

"Fenton!" shouted Todd Tyler as Fenton sped by him.

Fenton stopped and turned around in shock. "I thought you had gone," he said in an accusatory tone.

"No," Todd denied. "Only you have the authority to release us from our job," he added.

"Then how did they get Joe?" demanded Fenton.

"The elevator had two officers in it," Todd explained. Kurt and Matt went with Joe and the doctor and orderly onto the elevator. There wasn't any more room so Todd and I took the stairs. But the elevator stopped on the floor below and Joe, the doctor, and the two cops were gone. Kurt, Matt, and the orderly were unconscious. Apparently, Deerborne and Loewan stole the uniforms from two officers they attacked."

"Any idea on their location?" Fenton inquired.

"Chief Collig found out Dr. Lane signed out an ambulance and Joe. Allegedly to transfer him to Baptist in Southport," Todd informed Fenton.

"No one thought it was funny that the doctor would do that?" demanded Fenton.

"Apparently, doctors do have the authority to arrange the transfer at the drop of a hat and escort the patient, although it is a rare occurrence," Todd replied. "The chief may know more by now. I was ordered to wait out here for you."

"To try and calm me down, no doubt," Fenton said, ruefully running a hand through his brown hair until his hand was at the back of his neck. There he began rubbing at the building tension. "Let's go see what Collig has learned"

Joe's eyes flickered twice before opening. "Easy," Dr. Lane ordered Joe as he started to sit up. "Just stay still. You can't move your left leg for a few more hours yet."

"What... what are you doing here?" asked Joe, his speech fuzzy because the anesthesia hadn't completely worn off. "And this doesn't look like a hospital room."

"It isn't," Dr. Lane told him, his face marred by a scowl. "You were my second and last patient for the day so I was escorting you back to your floor. After we got on the elevator two men wearing police uniforms attacked your bodyguards and the orderly. They were going to knock me out too but I convinced them to bring me along so I could take care of you."

"But why would they want me taken care of?" queried Joe in confusion. "I thought Deerborne wanted me dead."

"I do," Deerborne concurred, coming over to where Joe lay still on his stretcher. He was holding the gun he had taken from the officer he had killed. "But he needs you as a hostage," he added, jerking his head over to where an Asian American sat watching them, his own weapon within easy reach. "But after this night is over...." Deerborne never finished his sentence but his meaning was clear. After tonight, Joe would die. 


	15. Chapter 15

"What time is your shipment?" Deerborne demanded of Loewan, moving away from Joe and the doctor and going to sit down next to Loewan.

"At one a.m.," Loewan answered. "The transfer will only take a couple of hours. We should be able to clear out of Bayport by dawn at the latest."

"You have got to get out of here," Joe whispered to Dr. Lane although his eyes never left the two men who sat a few feet away.

"We can't," Dr. Lane whispered back. "You can't move and even after the time allotment is up, you won't be able to run."

"Not us," Joe denied. "You. Look, I know I've got something seriously wrong with me," he said before Dr. Lane could object again. "At least you will stand a chance if you escape. If you stay, they will kill you."

"Forget it, Kid," Dr. Lane said, touched. "I'm not ready to give up on you just yet."

"If you escape then you can tell the police about the shipment," Joe tried to coax the doctor into complying. "And where I am."

"Sorry, Joe," Dr. Lane refused. "If I leave they might do something that would kill you. I'm not prepared to take that chance."

"But I'm dying," Joe objected.

"You don't know that," Dr. Lane said, frowning. "I don't even know that. What's with this defeatist attitude anyway?" he demanded. "Until now you have been one of the most optimistic patients I have ever had."

Joe finally looked away from their two captors and met the doctor's eyes. He could clearly see that Joe wasn't buying his own pessimistic attitude. Joe had merely been trying to get him to try and get away. "Forget it, Joe," Dr. Lane said, smiling fondly at the youth he was rapidly growing to like and respect. "You're stuck with me."

"Um, I don't suppose you could tell me the results of my catheterization?" asked Joe hopefully.

"I wish I could," the doctor replied sincerely. "But I never got a chance to look over the results and compare them to your other tests."

"Great," grumbled Joe.

"Shut up!" snarled Deerborne. "Or I will tie up the doctor."

Joe glared at Deerborne but quit talking.

Fenton entered Frank's hospital room with a phony smile plastered on his face. "How is Frank?" he asked Laura.

"I'm okay," Frank answered for himself, opening his eyes and looking at his father. He had awoken earlier and spoken with his mom and Callie but had fallen back asleep. His father's voice had reawakened him. "How is Joe?"

Fenton looked at Laura who looked down and blushed. She hadn't told him. "Joe came out of surgery all right but we haven't heard the results yet."

"Then why are you here?" demanded Frank, trying to sit up. "Is Vanessa with him? Mom said you were taking care of him."

"Son, I want you to lean back and try to relax," Fenton instructed his eldest son.

"Answer me!" snapped Frank.

"Vanessa went home," Callie answered softly. "She will be back later."

Frank's face whitened as the monitor above Frank's head started beeping erratically. "They got him, didn't they?"

A nurse came into the room to check the monitor. All remained silent as she checked Frank's temperature, pulse and blood pressure. She frowned at Frank's guests then jotted something down on his chart before leaving the room.

"Yes, they took your brother," confessed Fenton. "But they also took Dr. Lane," he quickly added. "So they aren't planning on killing Joe."

"Yet," grumbled Frank.

"Yet," concurred Fenton readily. "But the fact that they took Joe's doctor with them means they need Joe alive for now and that does give us a chance to get him back."

"What about his surgery?" asked Frank. "Did they find out what's wrong with him?"

"The results are back," Fenton acknowledged. "But only Dr. Lane can give us the diagnosis."

"How are you going to get Joe back?" demanded Laura.

"Ezra has an APB on the ambulance that Dr. Lane signed out," Fenton said. "And Sam Radley has a lead on Loewan."

"Then follow up on it," Frank ordered. "Don't waste time here."

"Sam's source said Loewan was going after one more shipment," Fenton informed the group. "The transfer is at one a.m. Sam and I will be ready and waiting."

"What about the police?" queried Callie.

"If Loewan is planning on using Joe as a bargaining chip for his freedom then the police can't be there," Fenton said.

"You're going to let him get away?" asked Callie in shock.

"If that is the only way to get my son back," Fenton acknowledged looking her in the eyes with his head held high. 


	16. Chapter 16

"Chief," Con approached Chief Collig, his face a picture of grim satisfaction. "We have located the ambulance."

"Where?" demanded Collig.

"It was parked in a thicket near the Oak Tree Lodge," Con informed his superior. "Loewan was spotted going to the office and back to one of the cabins."

"Any sign of Joe or the doctor?" inquired Collig.

"Negative," Con replied. "But it's a good bet they are in the cabin."

"Agreed," Collig said. "I'll call Fenton," he continued. "Set up a perimeter. No one gets in and if Loewan or Deerborne leave, follow. Until we find Joe and the doctor they are not to be apprehended"

Joe sat up slowly and closed his eyes as a wave of nausea washed over him. "I feel sick," he mumbled, grateful they had been moved into the bedroom and away from their captors' watchful eyes.

Dr. Lane held a small waste can up to Joe's face as he began hurling. "Ohh," moaned Joe, once he had finished. He had been awake for hours now and hadn't expected the anesthesia to make him sick just because he could sit up. He started to lay back down but stopped as he began coughing.

Dr. Lane took Joe's pulse and wished his captors had not confiscated his stethoscope. The mucus Joe had thrown up was mixed with blood and even his coughing was emitting a dark substance. He needed to get Joe back to the hospital as soon as possible.

"We have to get out of here," Joe wheezed, finally lying back down. "They haven't found us yet and that means they probably won't."

"You aren't well enough," Dr Lane began objecting again.

"We don't have a choice," Joe stated with as much force as he could muster. "After Loewan gets his shipment they are going to kill us. I, for one, would rather go out fighting."

"What did you have in mind?" asked a resigned Dr. Lane looking at Joe with a hint of admiration for the tenacious youth.

"They should be in here soon," Joe said. "Just wait for me to make my move and then take off." He held up a hand to ward off any more objections. "Your escaping and going for help is the only chance either of us have."

They didn't have too long to wait. Less than thirty minutes later the door opened and Deerborne walked in. "He's on his way to the docks," Deerborne said, looking at Joe. "Time for us to head out."

"You won't get away with this," declared Joe, getting shakily to his feet. "My dad and brother will stop you."

Deerborne laughed delightedly. "Your daddy is probably consoling your mother," he told Joe.

"What do you mean?" demanded Joe, holding onto the edge of the stretcher he had been transported on for support.

"I killed your brother," Deerborne bragged. He held up a cane and pointed it at Joe then flicked a switch to reveal the blade. "Ran him through and left him on the floor of the elevator stuck between floors."

"Nooo..." moaned Joe, his face whitening before contorting in pain as he moved his free hand to clutch at his chest. Before the doctor could get close to Joe, he had fallen with a crash to the floor. 


	17. Chapter 17

A throat cleared and all eyes turned to the open door of Frank's hospital room. Chief Collig entered the room amid a few blushes and one defiant glare. Ezra's eyes met Fenton's hard ones and he smiled. "We've found them," he stated.

"Thank God," Laura murmured feeling faint with relief.

"How is Joe?" demanded Frank.

"We don't know," Collig admitted. "They are at the Oak Tree Lodge. I came by for Fenton on the way over."

"You could have called," Frank pointed out. "It would have been faster."

"True," agreed the chief. "But I was afraid your father might...uh...inadvertently do something stupid."

Fenton made a face at Ezra but never said anything. As a former police officer he knew what he had said prior to Collig's presence being known would have been construed as more than a little dense. "Let's go," Fenton said, taking Collig's arm and hurrying out of the room.

"What's the set-up?" asked Fenton as they waited for the elevator to stop.

"I have men surrounding cabin ten; that's the cabin they are occupying," Collig began. "Deerborne and Loewan have been spotted and we know Joe and the doctor are still alive. Deerborne wants to kill Joe now but Loewan is insisting they wait until after tonight. Care to tell me about tonight?" he ended, quirking an eyebrow at his friend.

Fenton filled the chief in on his investigation and about the shipment that was due in only a few hours time.

"We could wait until Loewan leaves before we go in and grab Deerborne," Collig suggested. "It would be safer for Joe and Dr. Lane if we can concentrate on just the one person."

Fenton scowled. "You're right, of course," he admitted regretfully.

"I know you're worried about Joe," Collig said, stepping off of the elevator with Fenton by his side. "But he made it through the catheterization okay and there is no reason to think his condition has deteriorated since this morning."

"I hope not," Fenton sighed wearily. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I want to be at the lodge," he continued. "Can you take care of Loewan and his crew at the warehouse?"

"Not a problem," Collig assured him. He waited until they were in the squad car before radioing in and issuing his orders concerning the warehouse. After he finished he started the car. "Cabin ten is roughly two miles from the main highway," he informed Fenton. "I'm allowing no one in and if Loewan or Deerborne leave my men have orders to follow but not to apprehend."

"That's good," Fenton said, nodding thoughtfully. "Loewan will probably arrange to call Deerborne to keep him abreast of the situation and if he doesn't call..." he left his sentence open-ended because they both knew the ultimate outcome if contact were lost between the two men.

"We need to come up with some way to get Deerborne out of the cabin after Loewan leaves," Fenton said.

"Or at least to the door," Collig concurred with a smile. "Grifford and James are ready."

"How?" demanded Fenton.

"They will go in a s a pair of drunken campers who got lost," Collig answered. "They will raise such a ruckus that Deerborne will have to come to the door if only to shoot at them"

Fenton ran a hand through his hair for at least the hundredth time since they arrived at the lodge. When was Loewan going to leave, he wondered? He glanced at his watch. One minute after midnight.

"We have movement," Collig's voice made Fenton raise his binoculars once more to his eyes. They watched as Loewan got into a burnt orange pick-up and leave the cabin.

"Stay on him," Collig issued the order into the radio on his shoulder.

"We'll wait five minutes then James and Grifford can do their thing," Fenton said. He wasn't at all sure his patience could last any longer.

Two minutes later Con Riley's voice crackled over the radio. "Chief, Loewan parked. It looks like he's trying to see if he or the cabin is being watched."

"Keep your distance," Collig instructed. "Everyone else, sit tight," he ordered.

Fenton sighed. Another setback in rescuing his son. At least everyone was dressed in something dark, per the chief's orders, and could not be spotted easily.

The next twenty minutes passed slowly on the already stressed out father. "He's back in the truck and heading to the main highway," Con's voice disturbed the silence.

"Have James and Grifford move in now," Fenton ordered Collig. "We've waited long enough."

Collig issued the order and soon two male voices, slurred and angry, could be heard.

"Let's get closer to the cabin," Fenton suggested.

He and Collig crept silently through the underbrush until they could see the window at the front of the cabin. Fenton lifted his binoculars and watched as Deerborne made his way to a closed door. He paused and listened as the two "drunken campers" continued their argument outside then grinned and opened the door before him.

"Joe," whispered Fenton gratefully, spying his son standing and glaring defiantly at Deerborne.

"Joe's fine," Collig whispered in relief seconds before his eyes widened in horror. He and Fenton both watched as Joe grabbed his chest, the onset of a major heart attack evident.

"Move in!" Collig screamed into his radio as he raced to catch up with Fenton. 


	18. Chapter 18

"Look what you've done!" Dr. Lane snarled at Deerborne, racing to Joe's side.

Deerborne shrugged. "Not the way I wanted to kill him but it will do," he said. "You'll do well enough for a hostage."

Dr. Lane was kneeling by Joe and holding his wrist, trying not to show any emotion as he took the lad's pulse. "Get up," Deerborne ordered the doctor, raising his voice to drown out the commotion the two drunks were making outside. "I'm not leaving him to die," snapped Dr. Lane, glaring up at Deerborne.

There was a loud crash and the front door of the cabin banged open. Deerborne spun around but fell flat on his face as Joe's left foot snaked out and hooked around Deerborne's left ankle. Officer James ran in and quickly hauled a stunned Deerborne to his feet as Officer Grifford entered the cabin followed by Fenton and Collig.

"Joseph!" rasped Fenton, rushing through the open bedroom door to his son who was sitting up slowly with the aid of the doctor. "I thought..." he broke off, too choked up to complete his sentence. He pulled Joe close and kissed the top of his head as he held him tight.

"Is Frank okay?" demanded Joe, pulling back and looking into his father's eyes.

"He's going to be fine," Fenton informed him. "Deerborne stabbed him but he was rushed straight into surgery. When I left, he was awake and chomping at the bit because he couldn't come and help."

Joe visibly relaxed and smiled. "That's the best news I've heard today," he declared.

Fenton's fearful gaze sought out Dr. Lane. "I don't know the results, yet," the doctor quickly informed the overwrought father. "Once we get back to the hospital and get Joe settled in then I will go over them," he promised.

"Why did you grab your chest?" a perplexed Chief Collig asked Joe.

"When Deerborne opened the bedroom door I thought I heard a familiar voice," Joe explained, nodding in Grifford's direction. "His voice got closer and then I heard Officer James's voice and thought this would be a good diversion."

"It was," Fenton acknowledged. "But you scared the daylights out of me."

"Me too," concurred Dr. Lane. "When I started to take your pulse I almost dropped your wrist it was so much stronger than I expected."

"Sir," a voice crackled over the radio. "Loewan just entered a warehouse at Pier four."

"Surround the place," Collig ordered. "I want Loewan and everyone else involved in the smuggling brought in before morning."

"Affirmative," acknowledged the officer.

Collig asked dispatch to send an ambulance for Joe. "Why can't we just take him back in the one that he was brought here in?" queried Dr. Lane.

"The ambulance has to be searched by Forensics first," Collig said. "Besides, I, nor any of my men, are qualified to drive an ambulance."

Two hours later Joe sat in a wheelchair in Frank's hospital room. "Are you sure you should be out of bed?" Frank asked his brother for the tenth time since Joe had been wheeled in.

Joe rolled his eyes but kept quiet. Laura laughed softly and ruffled Joe's blond locks. "Seriously," Frank persisted. "Vanessa, Callie and the guys will be back tomorrow and they are all going to want to see you."

"I'll go back to my room after Dr. Lane tells us the results," promised Joe when he saw how worried Frank really was. "He knows I'm going to be here with you and said he would be in just as soon as he double-checked all of my tests."

"Why?" Laura asked, confused. "I thought the catheterization would tell what was wrong with you."

"Dr. Lane said the cath was used in conjunction with the other tests to tell exactly what is wrong with me. Each test I underwent narrowed my problem down further," explained Joe.

"I wish he would hurry," Fenton said anxiously.

"I had to make sure my findings were correct," Dr. Lane excused his lengthy absence as he entered the room and heard Fenton's remark.

"They got Loewan," Joe informed the doctor before he could begin.

"Excellent," Dr. Lane said, giving Joe a tired smile. "I'm glad to know neither of those men have gotten away with their heinous crimes."

"About Joe..." Fenton nudged the doctor. At the present, he could care less about Loewan or Deerborne.

"About Joe," Dr. Lane picked up. "He is suffering from mitral valve prolapse."

"What's that?" asked Joe.

"Under normal circumstances blood from the small left atrium passes through the mitral valve into the left ventricle. When the heart contracts, the valve closes forcefully," Dr. Lane explained. "But in your case, the two halves of the valve are bigger than necessary and don't close properly. This allows blood to flow back through the cracks as the heart contracts."

"Was this caused by his having rheumatic fever earlier this year?" inquired Frank.

"No," Dr. Lane answered, surprising the family. "It may have aggravated his condition, but even had Joe not contracted rheumatic fever it would have shown up at a later time."

"How serious is it?" asked Laura.

"Actually, the condition is quite common," Dr. Lane replied. "It's estimated that one out of every ten people have this condition."

"But he's suffering," Frank objected. "If it's so common, how come there aren't more people with the same symptoms?"

"Because in Joe's case a large amount of stress has been put on his atrium," explained the doctor. "Possibly because of the rheumatic fever," he acknowledged. "There has been a serious amount of leakage causing damage to the mitral valve."

"Can I be fixed?" asked Joe.

"Yes," answered Dr. Lane. "But it does require surgery."

"How soon?" Joe wanted to know.

"I can schedule you for a mechanical valve replacement in one week," Dr. Lane answered. 

"Mechanical?" Laura asked.

"Currently there are only two replacements available," Dr. Lane explained. "The first is a pig valve replacement. But these tend to wear out in ten years so they are used on older patients. The mechanical valves rarely wear out before the patient. Joe will need to be on blood thinner and must have a cardio vascular check up twice a year to ensure everything is functioning properly, but he should live a long and healthy life."

"You said blood thinner," Fenton put in. "Doesn't that mean he will be more likely to bleed to death?"

"Not if he keeps the medication regulated by regular check-ups with his family physician," Dr. Lane answered. "Every two weeks to start and then a blood test every three months should keep it in check," he continued. "He will bruise easier but I sincerely doubt there will be any problems from normal activities."

"Sports?" asked Frank.

"Should be fine," assured Dr. Lane. 

"That's wonderful," Laura said, her eyes suspiciously bright.

"And now, I think Joe should return to his room and both boys need some rest," Dr. Lane ended.

"You too," Joe put in.

"True," concurred the doctor, smothering a yawn. "This day has been somewhat longer than I had planned"

"Up and at'em, Baby Brother," Frank said, entering Joe's bedroom three and a half months later.

Joe stretched and sat up. He took a deep breath and grinned. It felt so good not to hurt anymore. The days following his valve replacement had been painful and his recovery slower than he liked, but at long last he felt normal.

"Something smells great!" Joe said, sniffing the air.

"That would be the turkey," Frank said. "It's Christmas Eve, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Joe demanded. "Mom and Aunt Gertrude have been preparing tonight's feast for days."

"Well, this is a very special Christmas," Frank said, smiling at his younger brother. "Your medication is finally regulated and you have been given the go ahead to return to playing sports and solving mysteries."

"Yeah, but I can't see mom being grateful for that," retorted Joe.

"We're just grateful that you, and your brother, are both alive and well," Laura said, entering the bedroom with Fenton on her heels. Gertrude was in the kitchen baking pumpkin pies. 

"Now get out of bed and get ready," Fenton said, smiling. "We men have some last minute things to do before the stores close."

"Shopping," Laura said with a wry smile and a shake of her head. "Why do men always wait until the last minute to get ready for Christmas?"

"It gives us a legitimate excuse not to be around to help with the cleaning and cooking," Fenton confessed.

"I'll remember that next year," Laura retorted, popping her husband playfully on the backside as she left the room.

"Plus," Fenton added softly, giving his sons a conspiratorial wink. "It gives us a chance to get your mother something that she won't find before Christmas."

End 


End file.
